


Stay with me

by MrsLionheart



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, M/M, Major Character Injury, Mild Gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2020-05-07 09:22:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19206490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsLionheart/pseuds/MrsLionheart
Summary: Hot and fast the tears ran down Keith’s face. He grabbed his helmet in panic, ramming it on his head again, shouting and crying desperately through the com.“I need anyone right now! Please!I can’t lose him!”He looked down at him, his vision blurred by tears, pressing him tighter to his chest.“Please,stay with me...”





	Stay with me

**Author's Note:**

> And... here we go again! :3  
> Once again, a big thank you to all the kudos and comments 'til now and the ones that will come, I'm still amazed by how much of you like my works... <3  
> So this time totally out of my comfort zone, I'm posting angst... It was a hell of a ride to write it and I reeeaaallyyy hope, you like it!
> 
> P.S.: There's quite a lot of angst and rough moments in this work, so please, if you're not in the right mood to conquer it, consider reading it another time! <3

Keith was running. Running as if his own life was depending on it. He heard the screams and shouts of the other paladins over the com of his helmet but didn’t pay much attention to them. There was just one thought stuck in his head.

 

_ Have to get to him. _

 

A shot came down near him and the surface exploded, throwing rocks through the air. He ducked his head at one that came flying his way, not slowing down, his calves burning from the exertion. Jumping over the rocks that came stumbling by on his tracks, nothing could possibly stop him right now. He tried to focus on the com for a few moments, hoping to hear his familiar voice, but he didn’t. 

 

“Please,  _ please hold on _ ! I’m almost there…”, he whispered desperately.

 

He didn’t know where it came from but a fresh burst of energy shot through him and he ran faster towards Blue, lying motionless on the ground, still so far away but almost within reach. They were trying to eliminate one of their Battleships as the Galra managed to open a wormhole and three more were behind them all of a sudden. Keith was so focused on the ship before them, that he didn’t notice it at all and as they aimed at them, Lance tried to shove him out of the way but didn’t make it in time, so they both got hit. Blown away in different directions and crashing hard to the ground. Red and Blue were both shut down. Keith tried to get to Lance through the com but he didn’t answer. A few moments later, he heard him scream and he felt his heart stutter, being squeezed in an iron grip, he was almost feeling the pain physically. It didn’t take a millisecond and he was on his feet, running for dear life.

 

“Talk to me! Please, Lance! Tell me you’re ok!  _ PLEASE! _ ”, he whined.

 

He was running towards a cliff where could see Blue, his eyes frantically looking around, flicking from side to side, searching. A cloud of dust slowly faded and he saw a flash of the familiar white and blue armor between two rocks, his right arm held up in defense. A sentinel was hovering above him, weapon aimed at him, ready to shoot. Keith didn’t think much, he just reacted. He pulled the knife from his belt on the small of his back and threw it precisely towards the enemy. The blade sank into its skull, the impact letting it stumble backwards two steps before coming down on the ground in a clatter. Keith reached Lance and got down on his knees.

“Lance! God, Lance! I’m here! Are you ok?”

Keith let his eyes roam over his armor, looking for any injury, inspecting every crack in it accurately. His face was twisted in pain, covered in dirt, the blue of his eyes dull. He was breathing heavily. 

Keith’s heart stopped beating and a cold shiver ran down his spine as he detected the dark, wet stain on the black suit. His eyes must’ve shown his panic because Lance reached for his side and touched, were the wound was dripping.

 

“ _ Fuck _ …”

 

His voice was hoarse and barely audible. Keith tried to help Lance get up, cupping his head with one hand, pressing the other on his wound to stop the bleeding.

“Why’d you do that? You should’ve just gotten outta the way!”, Keith scolded him, but immediately flinched at the hiss Lance made, because he tried to move. “´m sorry, if I hurt you.”, he mumbled. Lance huffed a breath, trying to sit up a little but winced again at the stinging pain. Keith helped him, pulling him onto his lap, steadying him against his chest.

“You would’ve done… the same for me...”

He coughed and panic twisted Keith’s insides, almost feeling the pain himself. He pressed his hand a little firmer to the cut on Lance’s side. He was slightly trembling. Keith assumed from the pain or maybe he was cold or from both. He pressed him tighter to his chest. The panic almost choking him, but he tried to level his feelings, tried to steady his heart, beating rapidly in his chest.

“Is anyone near our position? Lance needs help asap!”, Keith asked through the com.

“Hey mullet, thanks for coming to me.”, Lance whispered. He breathed heavily with every word. Keith’s heart broke a little more with the pained expression on Lance’s face. He felt his glove get wet and anger pooled low and hot in his gut, making its way up to the surface. He had to hurry up, he was losing so much blood...

“ _ Fuck... _ Is anyone out there listening?  _ Lance is bleeding and our lions are down! _ ”, he screamed into his helmet, hoping so desperately for someone to answer. Lance made a small whine and coughed again. 

“Keith… calm down, buddy. They’ll find us, it’s ok.”, Lance said. His words were hoarse whispers and Keith had to strain himself to hear them. The anger now flowing hot in his veins, he answered: “No, nothing’s ok! You’re bleeding and you need to get into a healing pod immediately!”

He felt the prickling telltale of tears in the corner of his eyes but he bit them down. He had to help him, he had to save him, no matter what.

 

Lance was all that mattered. 

 

His thoughts were turning circles, He was trying to find another way to get him out of there. Without the lions, they were stuck and needed to rely on their teammates. But they were nowhere to be seen. He looked up at the sky and tried to figure out something,  _ anything _ , but all he could see were the rays of light flashing high above them.

Lance opened his eyes and followed Keith’s gaze. He looked up at the stars and whispered: “I could never get tired of this view… These foreign stars and galaxies out there. Who…” He coughed again and Keith saw a small trickle of blood run down from the corner of his mouth. 

It felt like ice water was running through his veins and anxiety had his heart in its iron claws, clenching it tighter and tighter until he thought it would stop beating right away.

“Who would’ve thought, we would ever be able to see them?”, he looked back down and his eyes found Keith’s. He was about to continue as another cough shook him, more blood running down his chin.

“Lance, please stop talking.  _ Please _ ... You need to rest!”

Keith’s voice was shaking, but on the verge of tears he still had the strength to hold them at bay for the sake of Lance. He reached up with one hand, pulling off his helmet. Pidge had told him, that the atmosphere on this planet wasn’t that bad and they could breath without their helmets. He laid it down near him to hear the com, whenever one of the others would answer. Lance had watched him and tried to do the same but he didn’t have the strength anymore, his arms slowly sinking down again.

“No, I think it’s better you keep it on.”, Keith said kindly.

Lance shook his head weakly.

“Please, take it off…”, he said, a silent plea in his tired eyes.

Keith took a deep breath and gently pulled at the helmet, doing his best not to cause him any more pain as he was already in.

“Keith, I want to tell you something, before I never get the cha...”

Lance coughed again and this time it was a lot more blood than before. He spat a few times and went unconscious in Keith’s arms.

 

“ _ No _ ! No, no, no, no, no!  _ Lance _ !”

 

Hot and fast the tears ran down Keith’s face. He grabbed his helmet in panic, ramming it on his head again, shouting and crying desperately through the com.

“I need anyone right now! Please!  _ I can’t lose him! _ ”

He looked down at him, his vision blurred by tears, pressing him tighter to his chest.

 

“Please,  _ stay with me... _ ”

 

As Lance didn’t show any sign of consciousness, he feared it was over.

No one would hear him, no one would be here in time to save them, to save  _ Lance _ .

_ Lance _ , who tried to save  _ him _ and got hurt.

_ Lance _ , who was always there for him, without thinking twice.

 

_ Lance. _

 

_ The boy, who owned his heart. _

 

He wanted to tell him. He really wanted to confess to him way earlier, but he was afraid of rejection and ruining their friendship.

So he kept it to himself, treasured his feelings inside his heart and locked them away. Until the day -he was so sure about, would come- it was the right time to tell him.

 

And now, that day would probably never come.

 

Keith took the helmet off again, lowered his head and pressed his lips softly against Lance’s forehead, tears running down his cheeks in hot streams. He threw his head back and let out a loud, desperate and broken-hearted cry. No one would hear him anyway, but his heart just couldn’t take the pain anymore.

He looked down again to the beautiful boy in his arms, as he heard - no, he  _ felt _ \- the loud roar of Red. She shot up into the air, landing carefully beside him and willingly opening her mouth to let them in. She must’ve felt his pain through their connection… 

He leaped up, carrying Lance cautiously inside. Once he had him laid down, he hurried to contact Allura and Coran on the castleship, already taking off the surface. He’d only felt a faint pulse, but it was still there. He was still alive.

“Allura, I need a wormhole to the castleship right now! Lance is badly injured and needs a healing pod immediately.”

Allura’s concerned face appeared in front of him on the screen. 

“Ok, I’m on it! Be ready, the wormhole opens in five ticks. Coran is already preparing the healing pod.”, she said sternly.

The wormhole opened and then everything went fast. After landing on the hangar, he carried him to the med-bay, laying him down on a table, carefully taking off his armor. A few moments later a fresh wave of tears trickled down his face, as he peeled him out of his black suit. The cut was deeper than he could’ve imagined. He took a few steps back and covered his mouth with his hands, muffling the sobs. Coran took over and continued to undress him, putting on the special suit for faster healing. The others had arrived in the meantime and Shiro couldn’t catch him in time, so Keith collapsed on his knees on the floor, crying out loud, terrified. They all wrapped him up in a tight hug and cried together with him and he knew they were trying to comfort him, but he just  _ couldn’t _ find any comfort at that very moment, even if he tried.

Coran carefully lifted Lance into the pod, closed it with a sigh and all they could do now, was wait.

 

And Keith has never been the patient one, but for Lance…  _ For Lance _ , he would wait forever and a day. 

 

Hunk brought him food and water, Pidge came by often, just to sit down and talk to him, tell him what new discoveries she'd made. Shiro came by to talk too but most of the time he tried to convince him to go to sleep in his bed. But Keith didn't want to leave for more than a shower. He wanted to be there for him, when he woke up again. Coran came every two hours to look for his stats and after three days he told him, that Lance was out of danger and now he just needed time to heal completely and the threat of losing him, that nasty, small voice in the back of his head, was finally cut off. The days passed by and turned into a week and then two and Coran just said, he would wake up, whenever he would be ready. 

 

And Keith would wait for him, no matter for how long, never leaving his side.

 

After two weeks and five days, Keith was leaning against the wall behind Lance's pod and his eyelids were growing heavy but he tried to fight against it. He was already slipping into the sweet abyss of unconsciousness, as he heard a soft sound. The sound of a door sliding open. His eyes snapped to the entrance but the door stayed shut. He waited for one more second before he closed his eyes again and leaned his head back on the wall behind. He must’ve imagined it.

And then he heard him groan.

Quiet and soft, but it was definitely him. 

 

_ Lance. _

 

He leaped to his feet, almost tripping because he was so nervous, his heart beating rapidly in his chest and his stomach doing somersaults. He turned around the pod and there he saw him.

Lance was covering his face with one hand, leaning the other against the side of the pod. 

“Wow, too bright…”

His voice was still hoarse from not using it almost three weeks and barely above a whisper. Keith just stood there, still waiting patiently for him. Lance tried to make a step, one hand still covering his eyes. His legs were still weak and he was about to stumble but Keith gently put a hand to his chest, holding him steady. Lance peeked at him through his fingers and let his hand slowly slide down his face.

“Keith…?”, he asked quietly, pinching his eyebrows for a brief moment, his eyes slowly focusing on him, the color a luscious sapphire blue, sparkling like rays of sun on water. God, how much he missed them. How much he missed the feeling of drowning in the deep blue sea of these two gems. He tried to gather his thoughts.

“Y-Yeah, I’m here. Give me your hand, I’ll help you.”

Lance was slowly becoming aware of his surroundings. He took a few wobbly steps out of the pod and Keith tried to help him sit down on the steps as a memory hit him and he froze to the spot. Panic welled up in his chest, an ice cold wave washed over him and his right hand shot down to his side. He tried to feel it up, but Keith gently pulled his hand away.

“Easy there. The scar is still sensitive. You got hurt pretty bad.”

Holding both of his hands now, Keith smiled softly at him, guiding him to sit down. Lance was still taken aback by the shock, trembling slightly.

“But… but you got hit, too! Are you ok?”, he pulled his hands from Keith’s and touched his arms, his chest, pressing his warm and slender fingers delicately to his face. Keith wrapped his own fingers around his wrists, slowly pulling them down again.

“Lance, I’m ok. You were the one injured.”, Keith spoke softly, a kind smile on his lips. Lance still looked at him with big eyes but slowly the tension left his shoulders.

“You were there. You came running for me. To save me… That sentinel almost...”, he whispered.

“Of course I did. You would’ve done the same for me.”, Keith answered and he would rather give his own life then leaving Lance behind.

“You were crying because of me… I-I’m sorry.”

“Hey, no. You don’t need to be. It’s ok. You’re ok.”

He shifted his hands, taking Lance’s in his own, intertwining their fingers and squeezing them gently, giving him a soft look. Keith’s heart swelled with emotions, it felt as if his ribcage was about to burst open at any moment. Lance’s gaze was fixed on his navy blue eyes, the memories slowly coming back to him, picture by picture, moment by moment until one particular. And it struck him like lightning…

His heart skipped a beat and went into overdrive. A rush of adrenalin ran through his veins, his stomach did a double flip and he almost choked. He knew, he almost confessed to him on that cliff, coughing blood, on the verge of closing his eyes forever...

“Keith, I… I wanted to tell you something back then…”

Lance lifted one hand, cupping his cheek and caressing it gently. Keith leaned into the touch, closing his eyes briefly. Lance watched him open them again, focusing on his own and his gaze felt like blazing fire, burning right through him, running down, down, settling low in his gut.

“What did you want to tell me?”, Keith whispered.

Lance was staring back into a dark midnight sky laced with sparkling stars and he would never be tired of losing himself in it. He let his gaze roam over his smooth skin, the sharp line of his jawbone, back up to his full, pink lips, slightly parted, the curve of his cupid’s bow making him want to taste them.

He didn’t know how or when they got so close but he was feeling Keith’s breath hot on his lips. His eyes flicked back up to Keith’s mouth.

“I…” Lance swallowed hard, his breath shallow, pinching his eyebrows for a brief moment, his eyes flicking back and forth between Keith’s eyes and his lips.

“Keith, I… um… c-can I show you?”

Keith’s eyes went big and his adam's apple moved up and down as he swallowed himself, nodding briefly.

That was all it took for Lance to close the small distance between them and press his lips softly on Keith’s. Exhaling through his nose, Lance let his hand slide down to Keith’s neck and further to the back of his head, burying his fingers in the soft hair at his nape. And it was  _ so _ soft. The warm sensation of Keith’s full lips almost made him groan. He felt the blood rushing through his veins, hot and fast. His earthy scent filling his nose, making him feel dizzy. Keith reached up, carefully touching Lance’s face with his cold fingers, slowly moving along his cheekbones, cupping his face in both hands. His skin felt so warm and smooth. Keith’s head was spinning, his heart racing but he couldn’t imagine a better moment right now. He tilted his head a little for a better angle and their lips slotted together like puzzle pieces, perfectly fitting. After a few moments they slowly parted to breathe, leaning their foreheads together, both feeling lightheaded and happy. They relished in the moment for a few minutes, not wanting to part from the other.

 

“So, that’s what you wanted to tell me? That you wanted to kiss me?”, Keith asked as they both pulled back, a lopsided smirk on his lips. Lance snorted.

“No, not at all. I wanted to tell you, that I like you. Like,  _ a lot _ . For a long time now.”

One hand on his neck, rubbing it and looking sheepish, he added: “But I didn’t know, if you’d like me too, so I kept it to myself.”

Keith was stunned and it felt like the heavy weight he had on his shoulders for so long, was being lifted off of them. He never dared to hope, that his feelings for Lance could be mutual. 

“Huh”, he said, a corner of his mouth slowly curling. Lance gave him a curious look.

“So, do you… by any chance… um… maybe… l-like me, too?”, he asked, a pink flush settling high on his cheekbones. He looked so endearing, Keith’s heart almost couldn’t take it.

“Yeah... Yes, Lance, I like you, too.  _ A lot _ , too. And  _ for a long time _ , too.”, he repeated Lance’s words. His face lit up and his lips parted into the brightest smile, Keith has ever seen on him. Lance suddenly cupped his face in both hands and pulled him close, kissing him eagerly. Keith yelped at the sudden attack, but eased into the kiss with a soft groan.

 

The door to the med-bay slid open and Hunk stepped in, a dinner tray with a sandwich and a pouch filled with water on it in his hands.

“Hey, Keith. It’s time for the ne…”

He stopped in his tracks and the two boys drove apart, startled at the sudden intrusion. The tray landed on the floor with a loud clatter and the next moment Hunk came running towards them.

“Lance! You’re awake, buddy!”, he called.

Lance carefully got up from his sitting spot and the next moment he was being lifted from the ground and wrapped up in a tight hug.

“Whoa! Go easy, big guy!”, Keith warned. “Remember, the scar is still fresh.”

Lance didn’t care at all, he was giggling like a child. The door slid open once again and the rest of the team, including Allura and Coran, came in. They all ended up in a huge group hug, Lance in the middle, laughing happily. Their eyes locked and Lance gave him a genuine smile. It made Keith’s insides melt, making him feel all giddy and sappy, mirroring his expression. 

After a good talk with everyone, Lance retreated to his room, to change into his usual clothes. Soon after, he returned to the bridge, letting the team bring him up to date. He listened attentively, but it was a lot of information for his first day after almost three weeks in a healing pod. Eventually Allura shooed them all to go to sleep and no one really complained about it.

 

Lance stopped in front of his room, wishing Pidge and Hunk a good night. As the doors to their rooms were closed, Lance turned to Keith, standing in front of his own room. He looked sheepish, fidgeting with his hands.

“So, do I get a good night kiss?”, Lance asked, grinning lopsided and giving him an expectant look. Keith moved without saying a word, making his way into his space, tenderly giving him a featherlight kiss, caressing his cheek with delicate, slender fingers. A shiver ran down his spine, his chest feeling tight,  _ too tight _ for all the emotions and his heart swelling with each beat. 

 

“ _ Stay with me the night? _ ”, Keith asked with a husky voice.

 

And Lance’s heart already knew the answer, so there was just one thing to say.

 

_ “Yeah.” _

**Author's Note:**

> Phew... And, we're through and got a happy ending! :3
> 
> As always, I would be really grateful if you'd leave a kudos and a comment!
> 
> Thanks for reading and I hope, you enjoyed it! <3<3<3


End file.
